


Just Visiting

by Fuguestate



Series: The Watchmen Kinkmeme Metaverse [4]
Category: Watchmen - All Media Types
Genre: Crack, Gen, Humor, Meta Fic, Must have sense of humor this tall to ride, Watchmen - Freeform, Watchmen Kinkmeme, definitely crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 01:52:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2370059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuguestate/pseuds/Fuguestate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Walking into a parallel world hadn't been quite as dramatic as Dan had expected. Not that he'd worked up a particular scenario or anything, but he certainly hadn't pictured just stepping into a (rather nice) hotel room that Jon said he'd "arranged" for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Visiting

Walking into a parallel world hadn't been quite as dramatic as Dan had expected. Not that he'd worked up a particular scenario or anything, but he certainly hadn't pictured just stepping into a (rather nice) hotel room that Jon said he'd "arranged" for them.  
  
They hadn't even known this would be possible until Jon said something. Then Dan couldn't stop thinking about it, and after a battery of questions from Rorschach about the safety and logistics of it, here they were.  
  
Jon had told them to be in costume, surprising them both. He insisted it was necessary if they wanted to learn anything about the sort of people who populated the Kinkmeme, even restoring Rorschach's lost outfit for him. Rorschach muttered something grimly cynical as he fingered his suit's fabric, but in the end they obeyed Jon's instruction.  
  
" _You'll be perfectly safe,_ " Jon stated in his distracted, ineffable way. " _You return here in nine minutes, which you explain later is the equivalent of one day there._ "  
  
Rorschach eyed him. "Both of us?"  
  
" _Both of you, yes._ "  
  
And so here they were, not certain exactly why they were in a hotel room but glad they didn't have to explain their appearance out of nowhere - yet. The thought of moving around in daylight was unsettling, no matter what Jon assured, but there was nothing to be done about it. They paused to investigate any clues the room had to offer but didn't come up with much. All they were really able to gather was that they were still in New York, televisions here were absolutely _huge_ , the odd plastic cards on the bathroom counter were actually their door keys and there were two gaudy pieces of paper on the table proudly bearing a bizarre event name and the year 2010.  
  
Dan ran his fingers over the printed year. "Wow - they really are ahead of us in time." His brow furrowed as he touched the papers that had to be passes of some sort. "But how did Jon get--?"  
  
Rorschach actually scoffed. "Sends us to another universe, and you wonder how he got _tickets_?"  
  
"Good point." They tucked their "keys" and passes into pockets. "I wonder what kind of event this is, anyway."  
  
"Not going to learn anything staying here," Rorschach growled and headed for the door. "Let's go."  
  
"Rorschach, wait! We should  \- nevermind," he sighed as his partner disappeared, and he rushed to meet whatever awaited them.  
  
\- - -  
  
Any hope of finding the stairs and going unnoticed evaporated when they stepped out into the hallway. The elevator was only a couple of doors away, and there was someone there who turned to look right at Rorschach when he charged out. He was a beefy man, and would have warranted caution even if he'd looked like an ordinary human being. As it was, he was wearing black and metallic leather armor, huge black boots and a wild, long-haired wig with a ridged forehead prosthetic. The overall look was bizarre and intimidating to the point that Rorschach was automatically going into battle-readiness as they approached.   
  
He needn't have bothered; the moment the man caught sight of them his eyes widened in an almost childlike delight and he grinned wide enough to reveal a mouthful of alarmingly jagged teeth. "Oh, wow, you guys look _awesome_! Dude, how'd you get the mask to move like that?" He was wearing a pass like the ones they had and was peering down at Rorschach, almost invading his personal space.  
  
Rorschach leaned back a little in the face of this stranger's exuberance. "Too hard to explain."  
  
"Oh, dude, you've even got the _voice_ down - that's so cool... You could make an effing _fortune_ with that mask, I'm not even kidding. I've seen people try all kinds of things, and none of it ever looked quite right. Even the movie had to use CGI!" The elevator dinged and after only a second's hesitation they got on. The big man pushed the "1" button and offered his hand. "My name's Matt, by the way. I go to a lot of these things but I've never even _heard_ of anyone with Watchmen costumes as good as yours - especially not from the comic."  
  
Dan shook hands, as did Rorschach (albeit cautiously). "Er, thanks. I'm Mike and this is, uh, Joseph. It's our first time, actually."  
  
"Really? Dang, you guys're gonna have one hell of an entrance!"   
  
Rorschach decided to take advantage of their companion's willingness to talk. "Any advice?"  
  
"Well," the elevator dinged again and let them out, "you're gonna want to keep water with you, or know where the drinking fountains are - It's easy to get dehydrated wearing all this stuff and the vending machines cost a fortune. If you see a line, get into it and _then_ ask what it's for - if it's an autograph line you don't wanna get stuck in the back." He gave them another snaggle-toothed grin as they walked down the hall. " _Lots_ of folks are gonna want your picture, believe me! Joseph especially is gonna get _mobbed_ by fangirls." He nudged Rorschach lightly. "Hope you're up for that."   
  
"Wow - really?" Dan winced at the disbelief in his own voice, but Rorschach seemed just as shocked - he didn't even growl at the uninvited contact.  
  
"You guys should be okay; most people ask first to take pictures with you, and you get hugged by lots of cute girls," he grinned again, oblivious to his new friends' mounting anxiety. "I remember the first time I cosplayed... it's kind of like bein' a movie star. Every once in a while someone will try to grab your ass or something, but people are generally pretty cool."  
  
"Good to know," Dan squeaked with a plastered-on smile as they reached the lobby. Glancing over to Rorschach, whose shoulders were already creaking with tension, he thought of a promise he'd made only half in jest to him and fought down a hysterical giggle.   
  
Oblivious, Matt headed for a table laden with pamphlets, buttons and other "freebies", as he called them, and loaded them up with plastic sleeves for their entry passes, a schedule and a map. "Here y'go - that should help get you started, at least. I gotta go meet up with my group, but if you need anything, I'm one of the volunteers. Just ask around for Klingon Matt of the Devastator, okay?"   
  
"Uh, okay - Thanks, Matt." Dan was still processing the "Klingon" bit - they were _really_ different in this universe!  
  
"Awesome - catch you guys later!" Matt waved and headed toward the ballrooms, shouting what sounded like "KUH- _PLAAH_!" to a small, similarly-costumed group down the hall.  
  
\- - -  
  
They were alone.  
  
And people were starting to notice them already, pointing and murmuring.  
  
"Need to regroup." Rorschach grabbed Nite Owl's arm and headed back the way they'd come, stopping a small distance away from the lobby.  
  
"Yeah..." Dan was feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Where do we even _start_?"  
  
Rorschach pored over the schedule and compared it to the map. "Hrnh. Panel discussion, ' _Watchmen Movie vs. Comic - BYO Squid and Don't Mind the Static Cling_ '. Could be interesting."   
  
"That's really the title?" Dan laughed despite his anxiety and started looking as well. "Ha! There's a costume contest - we could see how we'd do."  
  
Rorschach huffed. "Self-indulgent frivolity. And have unfair advantage."  
  
"Okay, I'll grant you that. Besides, what if we lost to other versions of ourselves? How embarrassing would that be?" He returned his attention to the schedule. "Hm, ' _Ficcing 101: Fanon, Squicks and Mary-Sues_ '... That one might be helpful. Hey, they've got D&D - I remember that game!"  
  
" _Hurm._..."  
  
"Oh, don't tell me you believe all that garbage about Satan-worshipping?"  
  
"Of course not. Game is simply a waste of time."  
  
"Well, it definitely _consumed_ a lot of time, I'll give you that." He pointed at another spot on the schedule. "There's a screening of the movie, too."  
  
"Understand what Dr. Manhattan meant, now."  
  
"Yeah. Which means we need to get out there, already."  
  
"Ready for the lion's den, then?"  
  
"I guess we'll find out."  
  
  
\- - -  
  
Returning to the lobby, they made it about four steps before a shout of "Rorschach!" stopped them cold. Whirling, they turned to see a young man in a Darth Vader t-shirt grinning and giving them a thumbs-up as he passed. Rorschach recovered enough for a nod (it was strange hearing his name shouted from someone who _didn't_ want to see him jailed, dead, or both) and they continued.   
  
Wandering through people in t-shirts, jeans - pretty much what they were accustomed to in casual wear - there were also several people in odd and even disturbing costumes. Dan instantly recognized a couple of Star Wars stormtroopers with amazingly accurate armor. A zombie passed them, grinning a blackened smile from under a mop of unkempt hair and waving cheerfully. A young man(?) in a flaring black trenchcoat with long, silvery-white hair turned to look at them, surprising them both with green cat's eyes that looked all too real.  
  
Their path quickly became a crazy combination of Halloween parade and obstacle course. There were exclamations and shouts of characters' names from the crowd, and every few steps they were stopped by people who wanted their picture, just like Matt had said. There was no particular order to it - some people snapped pictures in passing (often from devices they finally realized were tiny portable _phones_ ) while others spoke directly to them. Some people were shy and hesitant while others practically _climbed_ on them. Everyone was friendly - sometimes too much so - and the two of them were quickly immersed in the jumble.  
  
  
 _"Nite Owl! Hey, how'd you make your goggles?"_  
  
"Uhm, it's kind of hard to explain..."  
  
 _"Hey, can I get a picture with you and my kid?"  
  
"Ooh, Rorschach, can we give you a hug?"_  
  
" **Ennk!** "  
  
 _"Can we get a picture with you? C'mon, guys, pull in closer!"  
  
"Can I touch your mask?"  
  
"Can I try on your goggles?"  
  
"Isn't all that spandex kind of warm?"_  
  
"W-well, now that you mention it..."  
  
 _"What's your cape made out of?"  
  
"Say something, Rorschach!"_  
  
"Hurrm..."  
  
 _"EEEE! He said 'Hurm', omigod!"  
  
"My friend's **totally** in love with you!"  
  
"Can I wear your hat?"  
  
"Can I give you a kiss?"  
  
"Dude, I could just stare at your mask for **hours**..."_  
  
" _Hrk_...Would rather you didn't.'  
  
 _"What's your name? No, your **real** name... aw, c'mon!"  
  
"Oooh, what'cha got in the utility belt, hm?"  
  
"So, Nite Owl, do you have a girlfriend?"_  
  
"Aheh! Uh..."  
  
  
No fewer than fifteen girls and three young men blatantly flirted with them, to their horror - they were easily old enough to be most of their pursuers' _fathers_. No one _quite_ crossed the line into unwanted contact, but a few of their admirers - particularly a very convincing Twilight Lady impersonator - managed to get Rorschach aggravated enough that Dan had to employ his D  & D knowledge for a hastily-constructed excuse about his friend's hardcore role-playing before someone got hurt.  
  
Among the costumed fans, the ones dressed as people they knew were the most disorienting. At one point Nite Owl and Rorschach stood bewildered in a lineup next to a Comedian, a Silk Spectre _and_ Silk Spectre II, and one brave man who'd painted his entire body blue (minus what a black Speedo covered) to be Dr. Manhattan while cameras flashed around them. There was one Nite Owl I who posed for a picture with Dan, but no other Nite Owl IIs that they could see - "The costume's too _hard_!" one fan complained. The number of Rorschachs _and_ Walter Kovacses, on the other hand, amounted to a small army.   
  
A few of this last group shocked the two originals by being _female_. Some were deliberate "Rule 63" versions, but many were simply cross-dressing. Rorschach had no idea how to respond to it, or the number of female fans he was attracting who seemed obsessed with showing him affection in spite of their obvious knowledge of his personality. In the end, he settled for jamming his fists into his pockets and glowering with as much of his posture as he could - an action which paradoxically pleased the fans around them even more with how well he stayed "in character".  
  
Someone in the crowd suggested getting a picture of all the Rorschachs together, and in a matter of seconds there were fifteen in a various dramatic poses with Nite Owl's partner as the flummoxed center of the group. "Damn," Dan muttered even as he grinned, "I should've brought a camera."  
  
A pink-haired girl in an exaggerated schoolgirl outfit heard his lament. "Oh, my friend brought her photo printer with, you wanna copy?"   
  
Dan looked at her in surprised gratitude. "I'd love one! Hey," he added a bit shyly, "could you get us a picture of me and him too?"  
  
"Sure!" she smiled.   
  
\- - -  
  
Nearly an hour and uncounted high-fives, hugs and a few kisses later they finally reached the Dealers' Room, feeling a lot like how driftwood must feel after high tide. The patterns in Rorschach's mask were going about a mile a minute, and Dan's midsection was starting to ache from constantly sucking in his stomach. Even so, he thought wistfully, it was nice to be... _appreciated_ in some way again.  
  
Rorschach smoothed the front of his trench coat while they caught their breath. "Seems you were correct about... _hurm_... hugging."  
  
"Heh, yeah - and just think, they thought you were just some guy in a costume. What d'you think they'd do if - "  
  
"Would rather _not_ contemplate." Rorschach straightened his hat. "Grateful for public venue as it is."  
  
"Amen to that - do I still have lipstick on my cowl? Thanks. Oh, here, you've got -" Dan reached down and straightened his partner's scarf and lapel from where an overenthusiastic "fangirl" had clutched them. "Much better."  
  
"Thank you, D - Mike."   
  
Belatedly they realized they were being watched by a small cluster of women nearby, whispering among themselves and looking at the two of them the way most people look at a litter of new puppies. A couple of them waved once Dan and Rorschach noticed them - Dan couldn't fight the blush and bashful smile that followed, which triggered a cascade of "aww"s and giggles.  
  
The blots in Rorschach's mask managed to look reproachful as he brusquely re-popped his collar. "Not in front of civilians, Nite Owl."   
  
" _Ahem_. Right. Sorry."  
  
\- - -  
  
Rorschach seemed fairly unimpressed by the array of comics and toys surrounding them, but he obligingly followed Dan from booth to booth and didn't belittle his partner's enthusiasm. People were still stopping them for the occasional picture, but the merchandise around them was doing an excellent job of diverting attention. They were also getting better at fielding the questions that got thrown at them; Rorschach finally decided "A friend made it" worked for explaining his mask's composition, and Dan realized he could honestly answer that his costume took over a year to design and build. Regardless of how pleasant the attention they were getting was, though, it was something of a relief when some celebrity they'd never heard of was about to make an appearance and much of the Dealers' Room emptied out.  
  
They wandered in relative peace among the displays, with Dan identifying or exclaiming over various items and characters.  
  
"Wow, they've got _Blue Beetle #1_!" Dan reached toward a comic book display.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's got The Question - this character," he pointed at the cover. "I've always thought he was sort of like you."  
  
"Hnh." Rorschach leaned down for a closer look. "Can see some resemblance," he allowed.  
  
Dan was sifting through the staggering array of comic books. "It looks like superheroes are a _big_ thing here," he murmured to Rorschach as quietly as he could. "As big as pirates are in our world, at least." He moved on as something caught his eye. "Heyy, look, it's Archie!" Dan stood as rapt as any six-year-old in front of the miniature on a shelf. "He looks a little different, but there's still so much detail!" A gauntleted fingertip reached out to trace one tiny viewport.  
  
"More than just ship," Rorschach was studying the rack of action figures next to it, tilting his head. "All of us. Some look different, though."  
  
"I'll say..." Dan peered at his miniature doppelgänger. "That's actually a _really_ neat design. I was thinking about redesigning my costume anyway, I wonder if--"  
  
Rorschach suddenly grabbed his elbow. " _Mike_ ," he hissed, looking down at a flash of yellow in a shelf of books.  
  
"Wh - _Oh._ " It was a book entitled "Watchmen", with what could only be a close-up of the Comedian's bloodstained pin on the cover.  
  
Rorschach picked it up and opened it, nearly dropping it again when he saw a comic-book version of himself with his own journal entry accompanying the images. "This. Is." He couldn't continue.  
  
"We're buying it." The price was unheard-of for a softcover book, but there was no way Dan was letting the opportunity pass.  
  
\- - -  
  
It was a supreme effort of will for them not to find the nearest empty corner and just read their new acquisition cover-to-cover, but there were other lines of investigation that would only be open for a short time.  
  
The first event, a panel discussion, was... odd. They could follow most of the jargon thanks to their reading, and their timeline matched closely enough that only a few events mentioned took them by surprise. What was surreal was hearing themselves described as archetypes and having tiny, insignificant moments in their lives dissected to the _n_ th degree as symbols of this or that. There was an animated, well-articulated discussion that managed to distill each of them down to various schools of government, of all things... and it kind of _worked_. Even Rorschach grew thoughtful during a heated exchange about how the female characters got short-changed in the story.  
  
And then there was the "ficcing" panel, which was awkward for several reasons. First, there was only one other male in a room that held about forty people. Second, the discussions often veered toward homoerotic fiction. Thankfully the fiction in question didn't center entirely around Nite Owl and Rorschach, but all that really meant was that now neither of them would ever be able to think of Spock _or_ Sherlock Holmes in the same way ever again. To make things worse, they became the subjects of speculative stares as time passed, even from the panel members. Dan was was starting to regret sitting in a middle row where a graceful escape was impossible and tried his best not to squirm. He knew the pressure was getting to him when he realized he was considering just grabbing Rorschach and staging a heavy makeout session right then and there just to have done with it.   
  
It was a huge relief when the hour was up.  
  
\- - -  
  
There was barely enough time to grab a couple of candy bars from the hotel gift shop before they were off to catch the screening of the "Watchmen" film. Dan was developing a certain amount of respect for the participants around them; this event was turning out to be something of an endurance sport.  
  
By the time they reached the screening room most of the seats were taken, so they took up a post standing at the back. It was probably for the best - not only were they able to watch the audience, but it would be much easier to conceal their reactions as the film progressed. Everything was so familiar and yet just a touch _off_.   
  
At the sound of the words from his journal, Rorschach stiffened, the black shapes in his mask swirling. Dan looked over to him in the dimness.  
  
" _Should we leave?"_ he whispered. _"That's your journal, man... if the details are the same, if you don't want me to--_ "  
  
Rorschach shook his head. " _Fine. Trust you. Need to see."_  
  
And see they did, often more than they would have liked. Even with the distance afforded by slightly different faces and events, there were more than enough awkward moments between them in the dark.  
  
"' _flabby failure'?!_ " Dan mouthed at Rorschach at one point.  
  
Rorschach had the grace to look uncomfortable. " _Was upset,_ " he whispered, trying not to attract attention. " _Assessment was incorrect._ "  
  
Dan supposed that wasn't a bad apology, coming from Rorschach.  
  
*  
  
 _  
"Wait - you were at the funeral?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"I never knew you were quite so... **poetic**. You don't talk the way you write."  
  
"Hrnh."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"You were there, too?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I walked right **past** you. Damn..."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Hurm. Sloppy fighting. Small wonder police succeeded."  
  
"It was six against one, man. Give yourself a break."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Oh god... **that's** what happened that night?"  
  
"Close enough."  
  
"Jesus."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Ugh - as if I needed a reminder. Never let me get this out-of-shape again."  
  
"Wasn't planning to."  
  
  
*  
  
  
" **Ghlk...** "  
  
"God, why did they have to use Leonard Cohen -? I **liked** him..."  
  
  
*  
  
  
"Never thanked you for coming to get me."  
  
"Hey - you're welcome."  
  
  
*  
_  
  
That was the last bright spot they encountered, the rest of the film playing out like a bad dream as they witnessed at least part of the fate they'd escaped. When it was over, the two of them lingered in the back, watching the fans as they exited.  
  
Rorschach looked over to his partner as the lights came back up. "Much prefer our version."  
  
"Yeah, that makes two of us." Dan let out a gusting breath and his hand went up as though to brush back his hair before he remembered he was still dressed as Nite Owl.   
  
They were trying to decide what to do next when an excited voice caught their attention. "Oh, hey - you're the ones Matt was talking about!"   
  
A young woman was approaching them, wearing a slightly feminized version of their impromptu guide's armor and the same headgear. "Hi," her grin showed off a set of fanglike teeth, "I'm Meg. Wow, he was right, you guys look _awesome_! I got here late so I missed seeing you earlier. I'm a _total_ Watchmen fan and I wanted to cosplay for it but I didn't get my Silhouette costume done in time. This is your first con, right?"  
  
"Y-yeah..." Dan's brain took a moment to catch up with her effusiveness, so at odds with her fearsome appearance as she shook their hands. "It's, uh, nice to meet you. I'm Mike and this is Joseph."  
  
"Pleased to meet you." She took in their somber posture. "Ah. The end of the movie gets to you, too?"  
  
Rorschach grunted. "Feel slightly depressed."  
  
She surprised them both by laughing. "Oh my god, you even _sound_ like him! That's just too cool." The last of the audience was filtering out of the room and she gestured to the door. "We're grabbing a bite to eat, wanna come with? We can commiserate together."  
  
And so they found themselves seated at a cobbled-together set of tables at the hotel's restaurant, watching the twilit street. Matt and his Klingon cohorts were seated with two stormtroopers and a remarkably good Boba Fett and were deeply engrossed in a debate involving white stars and the Defiant, whatever those were.  
  
While that discussion continued (seemingly in circles, though it would have been impolite to say so), Meg chattered happily to her willing audience about the film - the story, its origins, the author, the actors... she was a font of information. It also hadn't escaped them that she was a fan of Rorschach in particular; Dan was taking a shameful amount of glee in his partner's uneasiness concerning it. Her knowledge of Rorschach's writings was as unsettling as it was encyclopedic and she was unabashedly fascinated by the "authenticity" of Rorschach's outfit.   
  
"Your mask looks so much better than what they did in the movie," she was saying. "Whoever your friend is, they're brilliant!"  
  
" _Hehn_. Will be sure to tell him." Rorschach's hands fiddled endlessly with a napkin. When a round of sodas arrived he turned to his with absurd relief - only to cause another minor sensation when he rolled up the mask to drink.  
  
"Dude, it even rolls up the way it's supposed to!!"  
  
"Aw, cool!"  
  
And Meg just stared with a rapt smile, chin in hand, while Dan hid his laughter behind his straw. Irritated at Dan's seeming flippancy, Rorschach couldn't hold back a slight growl. As his lip curled up, Meg's smile froze and her eyes went wide.  
  
"You - you're missing a t -"  
  
"Holy _shit_!"  
  
They looked up in surprise to see the rest of the group were staring down the street. Someone said "Foot pursuit!" just as a flurry of motion went past the window. Instantly, Rorschach and Nite Owl were up out of their chairs and headed for the lobby where a man - the cause of the commotion outside - had burst in from the street and was trying to plow through the crowd of tourists and convention-goers in the way that only the belligerently guilty do.  
  
Without so much as a word, the two vigilantes waded in as people scattered all around. The very large and angry-looking man had already bulldozed a number of people out of his way and was heading straight for them, looking for an escape route. Seeing only a couple of geeks in costumes in front of him, he figured he had it made. He put his head down, giving a roar worthy of a mad bull, and charged amid screams and shouts of warning.  
  
Rorschach reached out almost casually and clotheslined him.  
  
Practically before he hit the ground, Nite Owl had his arms held behind him and put a knee to his back to hold him in place. A quickly-procured tie from one of the wait staff served to secure his hands, and he was soon divested of a switchblade and a number of wallets that obviously didn't belong to him.  
  
While Nite Owl checked to make sure everyone was all right, Rorschach reached down to retrieve a handbag that had fallen out of the purse-snatcher's jacket. "Hnh. Don't think purple is your color."  
  
Nite Owl rejoined his partner and only then did they notice the awed silence of the crowd around them. No one moved - no one even _breathed_.   
  
"Uh..." Nite Owl looked around while Rorschach tried (and failed) to look casual, "We, uh... used to teach self-defense at the Y."  
  
They looked over to Matt and his armored compatriots, who stood dumbfounded at the restaurant entrance with eyes as round as saucers. As they watched, a huge grin slowly split Matt's face and his arms shot out in expansive glee.  
  
" _That_ was totally _WICKED_!"  
  
\- - -  
  
Returning to the restaurant after all of that seemed horribly anticlimactic, but the simple fact remained that they hadn't eaten all day and they were _hungry_. The police had been brief with their questions, and even though they took "Mike"'s and "Joseph"'s information down, Dan knew they'd be long gone before anyone could figure out it was false.  
  
He and Rorschach sat quietly devouring their burgers while the others chattered excitedly around them.  
  
" - was _awesome_ , nothing's ever gonna top that!" The Boba Fett lookalike clapped Dan on the shoulder with a grin. "I think you guys've spoiled me for any other con from now on!"  
  
"Helluva first time, huh Mike?" Matt was still grinning from ear to ear. Dan managed an awkward smile at that while Rorschach concentrated on demolishing his french fries.   
  
Meg, in contrast to her friends, had gone very quiet since their return. She was still sitting near Rorschach, still obviously fascinated, but her previous animation had been replaced with a silent, intense stare. Rorschach, doing his best to ignore it, was down to the last of his coke when she finally leaned forward to whisper only to him, "Your eyes are brown, aren't they?"  
  
To his credit, he didn't choke. He did, however, freeze up long enough to make her eyes widen and her hands come up to cover her mouth. She didn't say anything after that, but he could just see through her fingers that she was smiling. And she insisted that her group pick up their tab.  
  
\- - -  
  
Saying goodbye was difficult. All they really had to do was plead fatigue and say they were going back to their room, but they knew they wouldn't be back. Dan realized he was really going to miss these people - even Rorschach didn't seem in too big a hurry to leave - but both of them knew it was time. It had been an insane, amazing and _long_ day, and they were going to attract some seriously unwanted attention before too long.  
  
"Thanks a lot for your help, Matt," they shook hands in the lobby. "It was great meeting all of you guys."  
  
"No problem," Matt beamed. "Just let us know if you guys ever take up teaching self-defense again, ok?"   
  
"I'll do my best." Dan's grin was a bit wistful.  
  
The two of them rode the elevator up in silence, the book they'd bought sitting heavy in its bag.  
  
  
*  
  
  
"That was... _fun_."  
  
"Not a bad place to visit. Couldn't live here, though."  
  
"Nuh-uh. _Way_ too crazy."

 

  
\- fin -

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published March 6, 2010. The prompt on the Kinkmeme happened to fit the universe I'd already written. xD
> 
> _Shameless crack, please. Dan and Rorschach make their way into an alternate universe. Namely, this one._  
>  Bonus points for being chased by fangirls/boys.  
> Double bonus points for slash. 
> 
> (I also feel I should mention - this was written a few years ago, before the "Cosplay =/= Consent" movement took any kind of hold.)
> 
> Bonus points from the author if you catch the other reference I threw in...


End file.
